Don't dismiss President Trump's Bible marketing — the King James Version is a very American book

rich lowry

opinion

by rich lowry

Of all the unpleasant things Donald Trump has ever done, selling Bibles seems to rank pretty low on the list.

But his marketing, similar to Lee Greenwood's, Bless God for the American Bible for $59.99, caused several angry headlines.

The Bible features a Star-Spangled Banner cover, American historical documents including the Declaration of Independence, and lyrics to Greenwood's iconic patriotic songs.

It goes without saying that promoting the Bible like digital trading cards and personalized sneakers is tasteless and unpresidential, just to name a few other products that President Trump has promoted in his signature style.

Dwight Eisenhower did not sell golf balls, and it was notoriously Jimmy Carter's brother, not the president, who sold a special brand of beer.

And don't confuse the handiwork of Thomas Jefferson or Lee Greenwood with the Word of God.

But this furious commentary makes it sound as if Mr. Trump was the first person to sell a niche-market version of the Bible.

In fact, this country has a dizzying array of Bibles for people with a variety of interests. Whether it's a Bible for law enforcement, a Bible for busy moms, or an outdoorsman's Bible with a camouflage cover, it's a “devotion Bible directly related to sports like hunting and fishing.” is. , backpacking, or any outdoor activity. ”

God Bless the USA was first published in 2021 and had already been included in the American Patriot's Bible since 2009.

The truth is that selling Bibles is a very American business, and the Bible, especially the King James Version, which President Trump is promoting, is a very American book. of American book.

The shipwrights of the Mayflower may have brought the first book of the King James Bible to our shores.

Christian historian Mark Knoll points out that in many cases the only book a family owned was the Bible.

By about 1800, traveling Bible salesman Parson Weems (famous for his biography of George Washington) was amazed at the hot market. Bible Dictionary, Bible Stories, Bible Stories — Plain Bible, Paraphrased Bible, Carey's Bible, Colin's Bible, Clark's Bible, Kimpter's Bible, No matter who it is, everything, everything will fall apart “At the moment, the crater of public desire is very wide.''

According to Knoll, there were 186 novels published in America between 1794 and 1815, compared to 246 editions of the New Testament, or the entire Bible.

Almost all Bibles published before 1840 were King James Versions.

Already in the early 19th century, he writes, “printing publishers were meeting demand by packaging the King James Version in a variety of sizes, shapes, and prices.”

Constant innovations in printing and distribution meant that the Bible and Biblical literature ushered in what another historian calls “the birth of mass media in America.”

The King James Version played a major role in shaping America's anti-monarchical attitudes during the Revolution.

The way the Bible permeated and shaped American life was one of the reasons this country's early leaders hoped there would be no need for a religious statehood. Thanks to the Bible, we were able to have Christianity and build a virtuous society even without Christendom.

The King James Bible became the foundation of American rhetoric and literature, and it is impossible to imagine the works of Martin Luther King, William Faulkner, and others without it.

Despite its diminishing influence, we often quote and echo it without realizing it.

“The tremendous influence of the King James Bible on American history came precisely because it was so widely available. Because the very words, and what they conveyed, were so It was deeply ingrained in the consciousness of many Americans, especially those without a voice.

“God Bless America” is not a commitment to this tradition, but neither is it a betrayal of it.

Twitter: @RichLowry